Lynch and His Critics

Michael Patrick Lynch has had an illustrious career exploring questions on the nature and value of truth, how truth functions in domains like artificial intelligence and politics, and how truth has been adversely affected by the “post-truth” era. His work also spills over into scholarship on social and racial justice, culture and technology, and sociopolitical aspects of the philosophy of language. Because Lynch’s work is diverse and wide-ranging, this volume permits critics and admirers alike to engage with select aspects of his vast corpus of philosophical work.

On Saturday, 11 July 2026 we will gather for a special one-day event in-person and online. All but four of the speakers have submitted a paper to read before the event. For access to the papers, please email me.

Saturday, 11 July 2026 (All times are in NZST • UTC +12)

In-person: Te Piringa Law Building - N3.01

Online: https://zoom.us/j/92624563773?pwd=bf9tXorqjltj516afi7jMmByvdDIO2.1

7:55am

Introduction & Welcome

Cory Wright (California State University, Long Beach) & Joseph Ulatowski (University of Waikato)

8:00am

Alethic Pluralism and the Metaphysics of Political Truth

Crispin Wright (University of Stirling)

8:45am

Responsible Convictions?

Douglas Edwards (Hamilton College & Utica University)

9:15am

Truth as a Thick Concept

Robert Barnard (University of Mississippi) & Adam Podlaskowski (Fairmont State University)

9:45am

Aptly Pluralistic Alethic Pluralism

Terence Horgan & Mark Timmons (University of Arizona)

10:15am

Morning Tea

10:30am

Is It Too Late for Open-Minded Dialogue?

Heather Battaly (University of Connecticut)

11:00am

The Problem of Creeping Concordance

Chase Wrenn (University of Alabama)

11:30am

Truth and Other Human Values

Gila Sher (University of California, San Diego)

12:00/15pm

Lunch

2:00pm

On Epistemic Diagnoses of Political Problems

Sandy Goldberg (Northwestern University)

2:30pm

The Elusiveness of Concordance: Political Inquiry and the Nature of Political Truth

Jeremy Wyatt (University of Waikato)

3:00pm

Afternoon tea

3:15pm

Grounding Manifestation Pluralism

Nikolaj JLL Pedersen (Yonsei University)

3:45pm

Lynch's Concept of Truth, Early and Late: From Vivian Street to Mansfield Road

Joseph Ulatowski (University of Waikato)

4:15pm

On the Normative Role of Truth in Politics

Susanna Melkonian-Altshuler (Oxford University & University of Vienna)

6:45pm

Dinner at Tudo Bem (29 Hood Street, Hamilton CBD)